


Oceans

by yenso



Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Confessions, Falling In Love, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-22 01:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12470188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yenso/pseuds/yenso
Summary: From drops to lakes, to seas, to oceans, the water's crashing waves are filled with emotion, and the water is Chung's respite. And from drops to lakes, to seas, to oceans, does his slowly mending heart begin to burn.





	Oceans

**Author's Note:**

> I think I am making a gamble in terms of views, posting here when Els AO3 archive isn't really all that populated (in fact I'd probably get more merit out of posting on ff.n), but whatever.   
> ff.n is for weenies.  
> jk

Drops.  
  
It was merely gratitude that had compelled Chung to be interested in Elsword's journey when he was first saved by the knight in Hamel.   
  
The endless chains of battles at the borders of the capital, with him as its sole defender and two royal blue silk waves trailing behind his armored figure, dual pistols in hand. He fought from the shadows, relying on hit and run attacks and surprise burst assaults to take down the demons and prevent them from advancing. The last line of defense for his kingdom, yet also not his kingdom.   
  
But there was only so far one could run and defend against the onslaught of demons coming from the path ahead. It seemed demons had brains.   
  
A slip was what he would call it. A foolish slip. A slip that would have led to his demise, his death as an unnamed boy with the Seiker heirloom. He was sloppy in his approach as he nimbly vaulted off of a tall, barely stable skyscraper to plummet towards a wave of enemies, guns pointed at the largest demon who had definitely seemed like the leader. Chung had identified it as Shadow Master. Hardly expecting it to notice him, he poured magic into his pistols, eyes cold behind the hood-like helmet and preparing to unleash a hailstorm of bullets on the damned demons, but...   
  
It happened faster than Chung could react.   
  
The demon had suddenly reached out a shadowy mass of an arm and latched it onto his wrist, doing an overhead swing and sending Chung violently colliding into the hard-worked Hamel pavement, an agonized scream ripping itself out of his throat. The demons surround him, the lesser ones surprised while the one that held him down, Shadow Master, simply glared at him unforgivingly.   
  
This must be the same look they gave Father.   
  
Another arm grasped at his throat, slowly choking the air out of him, and Chung desperately gasped for air. He remembered the feeling of wanting to live, wanting to avenge his father, weakly outstretching his fingers to forgo his pistols for his trusty cannon within the Guardian Stone, biting his tongue so hard he must've drawn blood to not give the demons the cries of mercy they so wanted.   
  
That was the moment they first met.   
  
A faint shout from someone who sounded probably about the same age of him, and with his eyes facing the clear blue Hamel sky, Chung's eyes widened. Forming out of the air was a massive blade made of cyan energy, pointed directly at the back of Shadow Master and the demons surrounding Chung.   
  
The larger demon must have noticed Chung's reaction to the sky, but it was moments too late as it turned just in time to see the mother of all magic energy swords slam itself into it, piercing right through its body and unforgivingly hacking into the bodies of all around it with its sheer size, exploding into luminescent particles that only gently caressed Chung. Shadow Master let go, staggering in pain at the assault, but it would not be given a moment to recover as Chung reflexively moved from his position on the ground, pressing a pistol to its head.   
  
  
  
  
  
It was only after the battle could he properly find the person who saved him.   
  
He saw an elf with sprightly spring green hair bundled into a high ponytail, a grown man with scars and black hair with a wolf-like grey and white coat, and a little girl with lady-like posture and purple hair waving a bat-shaped staff. A Nasod in jet black armor yet silver hair that looked like she could belong in a shampoo commercial. Then there were two redheads, one a boy and shorter than the rest yet stood at the front, and the other a girl with a charred coat, long hair, and an air of confidence. They both, oddly enough, had their midriffs showing.   
  
The boy walked forward, the rest remaining in their positions, and approached Chung. His hair was messy, fringes tied by gauze and a thin ponytail tied by the same, with his bangs falling over one eye just enough to not completely conceal it. His eyes were like fire— a fiery, daring edge to it that Chung could not help but bring his attention to. They were in complete and utter contrast to his own, a calming cerulean with paw prints. Even more like fire, those red eyes were bright, energetic, and the boy's personality did not disappoint his expectations as he stuck his hand out casually.   
  
"Hey! I'm Elsword, we're the El Search Party. You alright?"   
  
El Search Party? Chung had heard rumors from the townspeople about a group running around striking down the demons on Rurensia. So they've come to Pluone, and their frontman comes over and strikes a conversation like... this. No formality at all, instead a friendly greeting one would use in everyday life. It felt almost as if Chung wasn't even the sole heir to the Seiker bloodline. Just some random guy who this person happened to stumble across. It was... weird, but Chung found himself not really all that uncomfortable. Removing his helmet back into his Guardian Stone, he stuck his hand out as well, meeting Elsword's in a firm handshake.   
  
"Yes. Thank you for saving me. I'm..."   
  
Prince Seiker of Hamel? No. Not like this. He was, sure enough, a vigilante now; he could not declare himself as such, and would not reclaim that name until Hamel had been properly saved.   
  
"...Chung."   


* * *

  
  
Puddle.   
  
Chung only saw the El Search Party as temporary allies to free Hamel from the demons.   
  
Aisha was weirdly prideful but strong. Rena was like a mother hen. Raven was a bird dad of some sort. Eve was stoic and difficult to talk to. Elesis was cool, but she was sure into meme culture a little too much. She recently had been really investing into the left shark meme, one that came from Hamel's fishers. As they fought through Hamel, they gained two more members by the names of Add and Ara. Add was downright creepy, and had a clearly weird obsession with getting his hands on Eve whenever he could. Ara...   
  
Ara was complicated.   
  
He was so close to vengeance, dealing the final blow on the filthy demon responsible for the corruption on his father, and she had the gall to stop him. She claimed the demon general was her brother, and that she would not allow any harm to come across him.   
  
_What the hell was that?_ Was the only thing Chung thought of as he walked out the front of the inn in the capital. And what the hell was Elsword doing? A suspicious man and a girl with her sadistic head in the clouds over the demon that corrupted his father, and Elsword went and invited them to join the team?! He walked quietly, a habit from his training to be quicker on his feet and gaining the reflexes akin to an assassin, heading towards Port Lurensia to think. He needed to cool his head. He wanted to see the ocean and just... think about the events that transpired.   
  
By the time Chung arrived at the port, he halted. There was a faint ring of a footstep that stopped nearly at the same time, but that was all Chung needed from experience to know that he was being followed. An assassination? A secret ambush from the demons? He considered his options, knowing he was dressed only in a t-shirt with black track-pants to boot. He could still summon his Silver Shooters, but he would have to be extra careful about taking damage. His defenses were far below normal right now. Summoning his pistols, Chung decided to make himself clear and called out into the night,   
  
"Come out!"   
  
It was an order, stern and direct. And, just as Chung predicted, there was a rustle behind him.   
  
"Chill out!! You've got like, Batman hearing or something!"   
  
Elsword?!   
  
And just like that, the Rune Slayer sheepishly stepped out from the shadows, an awkward smile plastered on his lips, his arm behind his head to scratch his back. He was dressed in a sleeveless shirt with dark red gym shorts, clearly a sign that Elsword left in his pajamas without a single freaking care in the world. Chung could only gape for a while, those runic tattoos making themselves all the more obvious to him at Elsword's sloppy way of dress. They hadn't known each other long, but Chung certainly was not yet used to being under such a carefree and... young leader. Regardless, Elsword wasn’t a mind reader, he doesn't follow what Chung is thinking and just speaks up.   
  
"What're you doing up this late?" Elsword discards his lost stealth and leisurely walks up next to Chung, fire red eyes watching the sea waves gently crash against the supports of the harbor in intervals. The sky is black, and so it makes the sea black as well.   
  
Chung tries to hide his disdain, but it comes out as narrowed eyes and he stares piercingly at the ocean, "Do you invite just everyone you see into the El Search Party like this?" He asked, feeling the sea breeze gently brush against red and cream strands.   
  
The space next to him suddenly lights up like a powerful signal flare, and Chung looks over at the corner of his eye to see Elsword had ignited a rune in his hand, holding it up between them. Part of its glow reflected on the ocean, washing away some of the black the night gave and revealing its stellar blue reflection.   
  
Elsword casts a sideways glance at him, all too casual, and his face looks like he was even trying to fathom why Chung is concerned with such a thing. His response only proved Chung correct with a short, "Yeah, why?"   
  
Chung took a breath and stuffed his hands in his pocket, trying his best to withhold a scowl over the thought of Ara joining. She was clumsy, bubbly, and yet ironically seductively powerful, but she defended a demon general. To say he didn't like her joining the team would be pretty accurate, but as he was also fairly new to the group and he was simply... an extended temporary member to wash the demon threat away. In all seriousness, he could easily suck it up.   
  
But he could justify himself at least, so he explained.   
  
"Are you sure it's okay for Ara to join?" Merely saying that girl's name caused his expression to darken, "She protected Ran... she protected the demon that corrupted my father!"   
  
He didn't expect his voice to rise, but mere reflections of the memory infuriated him. Reflections, shimmering in his mind freshly like the ocean's colors exposed from the runic glow.   
  
Elsword doesn't respond. Chung bitterly stares down the ocean. Of course, Elsword probably doesn't know how to respond, so he wouldn't dare try anything possibly offensi-   
  
"You sound like you want revenge. That's kind of a bad thing."   
  
...What?   
  
Chung pulls his glare from the ocean over to the Rune Slayer in pure bewilderment at what he just said. And it was only when he did so did he realize Elsword's entire head was now turned towards him, straight-faced as ever and his focus completely on Chung's face.   
  
He felt a small burn inside, burn like the rune Elsword held in his hand. What was Elsword getting at with a comment like that, but also, why was he suddenly so concentrated on Chung's face? That kind of focus was unnerving from Elsword. It was as if he was searching for something from his face.   
  
Chung didn't reply, so Elsword merely continued what he was saying, all while his eyes never left Chung, "I mean, isn't that like killing someone else's corrupted dad? Except it’s Ara's brother."   
  
He feels himself falter at Elsword's words. Putting it into that perspective, Chung felt a bit like a villain now. Though his style of fighting was a bit questionable, he wanted to tread no further on the blurred line he sits between being a saving grace and being a night terror, an assassin. But regardless, this was his father he was talking about!   
  
"This is Father, the one who raised me since I was born. He's the most important person to me," Chung counters, but he found his voice quiet. Elsword gives an interested grunt in response, turning back towards the ocean and taking a seat at the edge of the harbor. He takes off his sandals with one hand, the other still holding the rune as he let his feet dip in the cool ocean waves. Chung does the same, sitting side by side with him. Even though Elsword was rudely playing devil's advocate, Chung finds that he feels himself calming down, and even relaxing a little. Bitterness washed into more intrigued, and it feels more like a casual debate between two allies. That was probably because he feels able to talk about his problems right now. Which was probably because Elsword caught him here.   
  
"And Ran was Ara's most important person, right? So..." Elsword's words drifted off. He shrugs after, as if he had no say in Chung’s issues, "Well, you do your thing. It's just... if someone killed Sis just 'cause she did something she didn't want to, I'd hate it." He kicks the water, and it crashes into the next small wave. Chung sighs, knowing but not admitting that Elsword had a point. But then how was he supposed to deal with these feelings? Say they go with Ara's mission and successfully change her brother back. Was he just supposed to suck it up?   
  
He voices these thoughts out loud to Elsword, also turning his gaze back to the water with a somber mood weighing him down.   
  
There's silence. Chung wonders if this is the moment Elsword truly doesn't know how to help him out.   
  
"...I dunno. Ask for ED. Use it to bribe Ran to change your dad back. They’ve gotta have a paycheck for being a demon general."   
  
The somber mood snaps and the dull chains crack. Chung ends up choking on his own spit and laughs harder than he ever has in a year, a big grin spreading across Elsword's face after as he laughs with him.   
  
The next day, Chung apologizes to Ara for his behavior, she apologizes in return, and they turn over a new leaf together as mutual allies.   


* * *

  
  
Strait.   
  
"You did it again."   
  
Elsword looks up when he hears Chung's voice, his lips gently parted from the straw in his cold smoothie. Though Elsword could withstand the heat quite well— this Chung was sure of considering his magic required constant heat exposure—, he probably liked that refreshing feeling you could only get from a cold drink in a hot place. But that was kind of off-topic and Chung shouldn't dwell on it too much, or he'll forget the entire reason he came here in favor of observing Elsword and his weird antics and talking to him and more weird stuff. It happens a lot if it's Elsword. It was simply a part of the leader's energy and personality, to make people run after him trying to keep up, only to get lost with him along the way because he didn’t read the directions.   
  
"Did what?" Elsword asks, oblivious to whatever he just did. Chung feels a pang of irritability resonate with him, but he steadies himself.   
  
"Lu and Ciel," Upon even saying their names, Chung's eyes narrow in slight disgust, "You know they're demons, Elsword." They couldn't trust the two. Not after demons have destroyed three, possibly four or even five, towns. He doesn't say that aloud, hoping Elsword caught his drift.   
  
That easy-going, welcoming aspect of Elsword was something he could never understand, right from the start. He did this so often it pained Chung, with Add being a shady character that joined anyway. In fact, Add practically held a personal grudge against their leader! Why in the world Elsword, despite that, still let him in with a big goofy smile, Chung wanted to figure out why. This only applies further with their newest demonic duo in the team.   
  
"You can view them as people with information to give us the upper hand against the generals," Elsword said instead, turning his whole body to face Chung and keeping the smoothie in his hand, but further away from his mouth.   
  
Chung merely crosses his arms, a look of disdain clearly evident on his visage, _"You_ view them as friends."   
  
Elsword nonchalantly shrugs, "Eh. Someone's gotta be that guy."   
  
Chung doesn't know how Elsword does it. He seriously wants to know how Elsword can easily accept people like that, and it frustrates him because Lady El forbid, these were demons! Demons, the ones responsible for rampaging Feita, Hamel, Velder, Sander, and possibly Lanox, were the enemies the El Search Party was making great efforts to chase away, and now there were two demons making themselves comfortable in the party. Because Elsword said 'okay, why not!' like the overly nice person he was.   
  
"I'm telling you, they're going to betray us-"   
  
"Who said they were going to? They don't give me that vibe at all." Elsword interrupts quite quickly, and Chung has to refrain from biting back at him. He forcefully shuts his eyes with a sort of harshness and breathes. He would not let his own personal contempt speak for him. He refuses to let it flood his strait and taint it. Elsword was a friend, unlike those demons. To start a conflict over something Elsword could not possibly understand was unbecoming of someone like him, especially towards a good friend.   
  
He wills himself once more to have a bit of cool when speaking to Elsword. Elsword doesn't understand. He probably will never understand. No one could, except maybe Ara, relate to his turmoil with his father having fallen to the demons those years ago, and leaving his son to burden the responsibility of a guardian. That sort of ache was borderline incomprehensible, especially for someone so bright and pure and generally just optimistic like Elsword. Ara was an exception, of course. She was loyal, different from those who sympathized with demons.   
  
"...I just don't think having them around is a good idea," Chung starts out slowly, skeptically keeping an eye on Elsword's reactions to his words. So far, none, "You know how many towns the demons have ruined, Elsword. Their mercilessness when they destroyed Hamel is why I walked this path." He presses his hand over his chest and the Guardian Stone resonates with his touch, creating two sleek silver guns to grasp in his hands. He outstretched his arms, showing them to Elsword. Elsword looks at it, staring for a couple of seconds, then looks up at  Chung. His eyes are fierce, and drops of determination fill the red vessels.   
  
"I know."   
  
He said it so simply, so casually, that Chung found his hands falling slack by his side and himself gritting his teeth, taking a step forward, infuriated, but stops when Elsword continues.   
  
"But I think everyone deserves a chance," He says steadily, maintaining contact with Chung and his words feeling more like getting thwacked with a brick at the sheer bluntness and simplicity that was Elsword, "And Lu and Ciel should get one too. Like Add."   
  
Chung wants to shake Elsword. A lot. Tell him that Lu and Ciel were different, that they're part of the people that have destroyed towns, that the nature of demons was simply unchangeable and Elsword was being naive if he thought they wouldn't be betrayed. He starts debating over the words he should tell Elsword, how to approach that sort of bright and indiscriminate attitude, but Elsword doesn't give him enough time and just keeps going.   
  
"I don't really get your reasons to hate them, but you should give them a chance. You gave Ara one, so why shouldn't Lu and Ciel get one?" Elsword places his hand on Chung's shoulder, peering at him with a silent request buried underneath the fire. It kindles the flame, really, and Chung believes it only burns brighter with that request as if getting Chung to meet these demands caused a spark.   
  
He draws a shaky breath, closes his eyes, and slowly exhales. Ara was an _exception,_ he insisted to himself, but the redhead had a point. Not to mention, Elsword was the leader in the end. He has chosen this boy to be the one he would follow to accomplish his goals, seeing as they stood here in Lanox and Chung was not back in Hamel yet. He had to trust his judgment with these matters, and Elsword had yet to prove himself wrong in terms of who to trust, anyway.   
  
"...Fine." With a heavy heart and a burden on his shoulders, Chung obliges.   
  
Elsword's gaze breaks in its intensity, Chung only realizing that it even _was_ intense until it's gone, and Elsword's hand leaves his shoulder. He holds out his smoothie, offering it to Chung with a big grin. For a moment Chung almost thinks to himself that getting a smile like that in return made agreeing all the more worth it. It’s reassuring as if he were being told everything would work itself out. All he had to do was push himself beyond and work hard, and everything would fall into place.   
  
"Smoothie?" Elsword asks. Just like the night in Hamel, he kicks it down a gear to a normal, light-hearted conversation. The casual exchange they have always done when they were waiting for further instruction from town chiefs, usually filled with Elsword's babbling and Chung chiming in whenever he could, was a normalcy between them by now.   
  
Chung decides to play along and lets his Silver Shooters dissipate back into his Guardian Stone. A small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he answers Elsword's request.   
  
"Sure."   


* * *

  
  
River.   
  
Chung has been meaning to find ways to pay Elsword back for his (rather startlingly blunt) actions back at the time in the port and for his kind-of-embarrassing behavior in Lanox.   
  
A moment of weakness, a time where Elsword just needed help being the frontman of the fight against the demons in the rampaging war, some sort of exposed vulnerability where he would need a shoulder to be on. Chung wanted, no, craved to be that person for Elsword. At this rate, he would never be able to pay back for Elsword's kindness. In the battlefield, Chung really tries, but whenever a blind spot showed itself and he found himself making a mad dash towards Elsword, prepared to unleash an explosion, the enemy would ignite and burn from eternal flames belonging to his sister, Elesis.   
  
Chung would smile in gratitude at her, concealing his growing frustration at the fact he was beaten to the chase by the same person every time. But he doesn't act on Elesis for this, he's grateful Elsword is even alive leading the charge against so many high ranking demons, and he knows those feelings are petty. Instead, he uses it to motivate himself further, with the ability to protect Elsword being the goal. He had to work on his speed. It looks like he wasn't just quite fast enough yet if Elesis kept beating him to the bush. Maybe he should lessen the time limit he sets upon himself to finish his runs around town.   
  
Roughly a year and a half passed since their meeting in Hamel before Chung's opportunity arises. Seventeen, nearing official adulthood in just a couple of months. Just after they had taken down the demon general Scar and prevented the rise of the demon god Sult with the help of the demonic pair Lu and Ciel (though he's still hesitant with them, for the most part, Lu and Ciel have proven themselves loyal, like Elsword had stubbornly insisted), Elesis had passed out cold from divine intervention. Chung remembered it clearly, how a golden light suddenly enveloped Elesis and how she chained the demon god back under into the abyss. The light left her body soon after, leaving her completely down for the count.   
  
Elsword refused to leave the medical tent, no matter what Rena or Raven told him or even the doctors when they said Elesis would be fine. Chung could see that a sort of blankness took over Elsword when they arrived back at Lanox with Elesis's limp body, inevitably leading to worry thrashing about in his chest. So now here they stood, Elsword merely sitting in the chair next to Elesis's bedside, fire red eyes painfully monotonous. He would take food and eat, thankfully, and smile, but Chung knows they're forced. It doesn't light up his eyes, reflect the passion Elsword holds in his spirit, the fire subdued instead of free. He knows all too well that they're forced (especially because he does the same in certain circumstances such as a sister stopping you from paying back your friend).   
  
Chung waits for the rest of the El Search Party to tread out of the medical tent, smiling politely at each member and nodding his head to some hushed concerns about Elsword, before finally, the medical tent holds only him, Elsword, and Elesis, who is totally knocked out. Which, in Chung's eyes, means it's basically just him and Elsword. Alone. The thought makes his breathing quicken. Maybe he's just nervous, as he was about to attempt to consolidate Elsword, who is usually burning brightly with joy. But the flames have dimmed down from their battles, and Chung needs to give it a bit of gasoline right now.   
  
He pulls up a second chair from the corner of the tent and sits next to Elsword. Elsword notices Chung's odd movements, not following the rest of the team, but he smiles and leans forward on the chair, arms resting on his legs.   
  
"You should get going too, Chung." He said, trying to keep up his casual tone like he always did. Trying to convince him he was okay.   
  
Chung doesn't fall for it in the slightest. There's a pain in his eyes that makes the smile fake. Chung refuses to smile back, looking up at Elsword with rooted concern and a forceful, "Drop it, Elsword." Without a trace of amusement in Chung's voice, the magic swordsman obeys. The smile fades away and his true expression comes to light, a grave look as if he were contemplating.   
  
And Elsword isn't one to contemplate.   
  
Chung dispels his armor back into his Guardian Stone, leaving him in a black turtleneck and similarly colored pants. He keeps the boots on, though, as he remembers how Lanox's ground is burning hot. His hand finds its way up Elsword's spine, from the bare skin of his lower back up to the lining of his vest near his shoulder-blade, rubbing his back reassuringly. Elsword's muscles were tense, Chung noted to himself, so he continues the action silently.   
  
"She's your 'most important person', isn't she?" Chung finally asks with a solemn smile. He reflects back on their discussion on Port Lurensia, how he told Elsword about his father being important to him.   
  
Elsword hesitates, before nodding, "Yeah. I barely knew my mom and dad. I was looking for her while searching for the El. And I finally found her in Velder. Pretty lucky, huh?"   
  
"I see," Chung faintly replies, unable to keep his eyes off Elsword. For a flash of a moment, he wonders how Elsword considers him, but he wipes away the thought immediately. Elesis was unconscious, so she should be at the forefront of importance. Chung pulls his eyes off Elsword and looks at Elesis's unmoving form. He had been thinking about Elsword a lot recently and wasn't sure what to make of it.   
  
Elsword doesn't seem to be intent on responding, fixated on Elesis while knotting his hands together. Chung continues rubbing Elsword's back, unrelenting on the soothing, circular motion. Thankfully, Chung can feel it working, even if Elsword does not speak it out loud; he can feel Elsword's back muscles slowly relax from their stiff position—   
  
"Thanks for staying." Elsword abruptly says, even though he is not looking at Chung.   
  
Chung is glad Elsword is not looking at him. His breath catches in his throat, his stomach churns, and his face feels a little bit hot. But he's also glad he's able to help like this, so he gathers himself to speak.   
  
"You should trust your sister more," Chung says instead, recovering his composure as soon as the words leave his mouth. He does not verbally acknowledge Elsword's gratitude, but keeps it tucked safely in his head as a receipt of proof that he paid off his debt, "It's okay to worry about her, but you should take care of yourself too."   
  
"I eat," Elsword says flatly, resting the side of his head on the mattress, face turned towards Elesis. Chung continues rubbing his back even as he readjusts his body, but he can't help but blankly glare at the back of Elsword's head.   
  
"You haven't slept," Chung gently points out, "I think you should rest, or at least bathe. The hot springs are open. Elesis will be up in a couple of hours hopefully, and she wouldn't want to wake up to her stinky little brother."   
  
It doesn't look like his words did anything from Chung's perspective, but he could tell from the way Elsword's arm shifted to cover his face that he was sniffing himself. Elsword fell silent. Chung knew he was totally right.   
  
"...You'll tell me if Sis wakes up?" Elsword curiously asks from behind his arm. Chung perks up. Wait, was he actually considering it?   
  
"Of course." Chung readily agrees. Elsword lifts his head up from the mattress and removes Chung's hand from his back, turning his head to look directly at him. Yet he keeps Chung's hand within the palm of his own, causing Chung to sit up straight without knowing.   
  
Elsword finally looks at Chung, eye to eye, "You won't leave," he adds on.   
  
Chung shakes his head, "Not until you rest. I'm patrolling the area with Ciel tonight." He responds, falling quiet after those words, and gives a small, reassuring smile to his companion.   
  
Elsword's eyes are locked into Chung's for a moment as if mystified, before he stands up and lets go of Chung's hand to slide it around his shoulders. Elsword leans in close, their shoulders touching and Chung can feel both skin and cloth against his arm in a one-armed hug, but Elsword quietly whispers to him in that conversation-like tone he had always held. And it's genuine.   
  
"Thanks. Really."   
  
Chung can only make himself nod, forcing his eyes on Elesis. Okay. Holy crap. He was close. Really, really close-

Elsword relinquishes his hold on him, walking out of the medical tent while Chung was monologuing internally. He replays that moment over and over in his head. He knows Elsword will force his big smile and joyous laugh again, pretend he's alright and totally not worried just because the medics said Elesis would be okay, but Chung knows he's worried sick. But at least it's a little less forced and a little truer now. Elsword would be able to pick himself up. Yet for some odd reason, Chung did not feel satisfied.  
  
But he's helped now, right? He has paid back the favors Elsword did for him. The favor that saved his life. The favor that allowed him to open his mind and even become good friends with Ara Haan. The favor that pleaded to give Lu and Ciel a chance, and to have a more open heart. They now stood on equal terms, and Chung could treat him like everyone else devotedly, protecting everyone to his fullest as his newfound friends. No longer allies to him, they were friends. What Chung declared to himself as temporary before, now he would love to declare himself there to travel to the end of their journey with. Hamel would be fine without him with Rod Ross at the head, despite his womanizer tendencies. Even if he did go too far, Chung would merely have to put on the helmet of an assassin for a little bit, return to Hamel, and give him a friendly reality check in the dead of night.   
  
Chung wants to protect the El Search Party, which holds all of his friends.   
  
But there's something about Elsword that feels… just outright different. There’s an ingrained desire to go beyond the necessity for him. Even though he just now returned the comfort favor, he wants to do more. More than anyone else in the El Search Party, heck, he even felt daring enough to try to top Elesis. He wanted to challenge the eternal flame with an endlessly stretching ocean.   
  
Chung sighs and leans back in his chair. What was wrong with him? Why does he want to beat Elesis for Elsword? He shouldn't be selfish; to desire a friend to hold him so dearly like that, to try to surpass a bond as strong as a family, was downright crazy.    
  
You should be satisfied, Chung repeatedly told himself. They're close friends. Why did he want to be even closer? They already talk enough on the daily outside of the battlefield, what more did Chung even want? But special moments like these, the way Elsword entrusted Chung with watching his sister and opening up to him with his concern behind the jokes and laughter, and the kinda-sorta-half hug…

Aisha’s romance books flash into his memory. Wait. He was acting awfully familiar to some of the protagonists in those. Was this a crush? Was he seriously developing a crush for- for a _guy_ , and even more so, _Elsword?_   
  
Chung reaches his hand up to touch the shoulder Elsword's hand landed on when he gave that one-armed hug. It's only then that he notices that his shoulder is hotter than normal, and his fingertips are tinted black when he removes his hand from his shoulder. With a loud groan, he covers his face with his hands.   
  
It wasn't a crush, it wasn't a crush, it absolutely was _not_ a crush, even if the smaller voice in his mind says otherwise.   


* * *

  
  
Lake.   
  
Atlas was a mess.   
  
It started out fine, they set out with strong hearts intending to find Lady El to restore the land to normal.   
  
But they hadn't expected a young, bright Nasod boy to give up his very essence, his life, to boost them to Elysion.   
  
Elsword was thrashing about in Raven's arms, screaming to let him go, then slamming his fists against the barrier of the wall, fallen on his knees while screaming Yuno's name until his voice went hoarse. The Nasod's beautiful golden form dissipated and fell down into a hole that knew no end. Chung himself was hysterical as he witnessed that silly, optimistic Nasod do one of the most insane things ever: sacrifice his life. He found no words coming out of his mouth, only his entire body trembling as he pressed his hands and face against the barrier, mouth parted in horror and eyes blown wide in a silent plea, shaking his head desperately as he watched Yuno tear the core out of his chest. No. Nonononono. Yuno couldn't do this, shouldn't do this, this was turning out just like his father, Chung had failed to protect someone once again and there was nothing he could do to stop it-   
  
It was too late. Yuno slammed his core into the device, his beautiful golden form dissipating into the dull green and grey, and his body plummeting into the abyss of Atlas Tower.   
  
Drops fell down Chung's cheeks, but maybe they were streams, drops coming rapidly enough to create a lake. And next to him, Elsword's grieved scream rang throughout the tower.   
  
There could've been an alternate. There must've been an alternate. They've always found an alternate for every obstacle, no, it couldn't end like this, never-   
  
But it did.   
  
And death was irreversible.   
  
They camped outside Elysion for the night, watching the day fall with heavy hearts. Rena and Elesis tried to chat it up optimistically at dinner, a very sweet attempt to raise everyone's spirits, but it didn't quite do the trick for everyone. Elsword, for one, remained lost in thought. He hardly spoke, the only significant response Chung recalled all day being a yell of "Who's there?!" out of the blue (which Chung would ask about later). It was only when Elesis looped her arm around him and dragged him to the front of the campfire to play some meme skits with her did he start contributing with his big goofy smiles and ridiculous jokes. He and Elesis, they made a great comedy duo.   
  
With some motherly love from Rena, they managed to cheer up. Raven's grave expression relaxed, Aisha was back to scolding Elsword quickly after he mocked her bat, Eve brushed her hair back and allowed herself to be distracted, Add was back to staring at Eve, Ciel was brewing tea behind everyone on orders of Lu, and Ara was laughing. Chung himself allowed himself to crack a small smile at their antics, resting his hand on his palm while his elbow was propped up on crossed legs. The campfire illuminated the circle, giving an ember glow to their bodies and especially Elsword. The golden glow beautifully tinted the Rune Slayer, parading about and mockingly making big sways with his body and arms, legs spread out, to the beat of a pop song Elesis was badly singing.   
  
He was having fun, for sure, Chung affirmed this with the way his eyes were wide and bright and just, Lady El help, glowing with uplifting spirits.   
  
But his smile wasn't as wide. It was subdued. The thoughts of Yuno must still linger in the back of Elsword's mind, and he was using this chance to get his mind off of everything. Chung knew this, he had begun noticing so many things about Elsword since Lanox. The way his eyebrows lift up when he laughs, how his eyes were so wide and bright when he was passionate about a topic they discussed, or how he would get louder when he was telling a story that Chung was not there for that was simply hilarious, or even the way his cheeks flush red when he says something that he thinks will make Chung see him as lame. Though that last one was a new one Chung noticed just recently, it was incredibly cute, and it always made Chung's chest burn with warmth and his heart would stop in its place to watch with him. But Chung continues to smile and laugh along with the group, even if it was a teeny bit forced because Elsword does the same for the group and Chung wants to help improve the mood with him, even if he was merely an audience member. If he laughs, then others would smile or laugh too, Chung figured. So he laughs at it all with Ara. Laughs, and pretends everything is alright like Elsword does.   
  
The night continues like this, with Elsword and Elesis constantly bantering, and the rest of the El Search Party encouraging them on with livelihood until Rena decides to call everyone to bed. Murmurs of agreement mixed with disappointment passed as they all headed off to their respective tents to catch some sleep before entering Elysion. Eve and Add set up cloaking devices around the team, and the night becomes silent. The sky turns pitch black when the campfire goes out, and everyone settles into their tents after some farewells and good rest wishes.   
  
That was all fine and dandy and polite and kind, except Chung can't sleep. Like, at all.   
  
In fact, he's restless, turning over this way and that in his bedroll. It's no longer scalding hot, and instead, Chung finds it miserably cold in the small tent because he adapted to the severe temperatures in Lanox and Sander. He pulls his blanket closer to his shivering form, but to no avail. Shifting around in his bedroll, Chung clutches his pillow to his chest as if it were someone to cuddle.   
  
_As if it were Elsword_ , his mind casually suggests as soon as the thought is there.   
  
Chung's face burns at the image. He tries to stuff it down his throat, shoving it out of his mind frantically because _dammit,_ he should stop thinking about his close friend like that, and what the heck was he doing thinking about his weird emotional problems when a good ally and friend just died, but the thoughts still seep through. He tries to fight them away regardless, because _no_ , fantasizing is _bad_ , he has to remain respectful to everyone, stop viewing Elsword like that it’s scary at this point—

He gives up eventually.

Mainly because he supposes, with reluctance, that if it meant helping him sleep and getting him away from the horrible, guilty thoughts about Yuno's tragedy, fantasizing and self-indulgence was something he wasn't above doing. Not like people would mind-read him here. He lets himself indulge a little, his eyes fluttering shut in a new attempt to sleep. He remains motionless for a multitude of minutes, eyes shut until paw-printed irises are wide and Chung is awake and realizes that even drowning himself in pretends did not help him, only adding a craving in his stomach for a certain someone and a desire to be held, comforted. Recollections of being held by his father rise and his feelings only worsen and begin to make him feel clammy, threatening to drown him down under his lake until the capacity is broken and the waterworks would inevitably pour out.   
  
Screw it. He really can't sleep after all. Maybe he should go get some fresh air, he thinks, and soon enough Chung finds himself crawling out of the tent and standing up to a circle of sleeping tents with an empty center. There is no light in all but one, which was dimly lit anyways.   
  
Chung swallows harshly, knowing already it is Elsword's tent. He moves without hesitation, wondering but already knowing why Elsword of all people was still up and arrives shortly. He gets down on his knees and gently brushes the flap of the tent back, peeking one eye in.   
  
"Elsword?" His voice comes out, barely above a whisper.   
  
Elsword is sitting inside the tent, knees pulled up to his chest and a map diagram of Elysion in his hands. He seemed to be deep in concentration, but upon hearing Chung's voice he looks up curiously.   
  
"What's up?" He asks automatically, and Chung decides to let himself in. He takes a seat next to Elsword on the faded red bedroll and pulls his knee up just enough to rest his arm on one kneecap, the other leg out in front of him on the ground.   
  
Chung purses his lips together, knowing Elsword's gaze is on him, so he slowly returns the look. Their eyes match each other's evenly, and Chung searches his eyes, trying to figure out how Elsword was feeling. Elsword was always so expressive, which Chung just about and everyone else was used to, but when his eyes concealed something, that adaptation to his expressiveness made it hard to read. It was too foreign of a look, too rare of an expression of his, for Chung to read him. So he settles on looking away after a few moments, staring at his outstretched leg.   
  
"Chung, you alright?" Elsword asks. Chung wants to ask Elsword the same thing, with the odd way he acted in the day when they arrived at Elysion. Unreadable expressions, odd reactions. Chung quietly startled himself on this realization, shoulders tensing up and the seed of worry sprouting into a bud. For now, however, he chooses not to delve and simply takes to answering Elsword's question.   
  
"Fine," Chung responds monotonously, but his voice doesn't match up to the pain in his chest and their eyes meet again. The paw-printed turquoise irises give one grieved look, and the fire red eyes narrow in concern.   
  
Fire. The essence of his eyes, like the paw-prints in Chung's. The fire in Elsword's eyes was somehow still bright, even if dimmed and just as pained as blue eyes, full of remorse. He turns his head to look down at the map, and frustratedly grabs a clump of his hair and tugs it up by his face as he leans forward.     
  
"...Yuno, he..." Chung softly speaks, eyes regretful and laden with sorrow. He looks back down and covers his eyes by intertwining his hands, pressing the backs of them just below his forehead. Just saying his name hurt. Fresh pain blooms in his chest, fueled by memory and no amount of water he frantically grabbed from the lake to douse it could hold it down.   
  
"I—" His voice cracks and his body shudders. His visage scrunches up, contorts, wracked with the choking ache of guilt. He tries to pour more water into the wounds, but alas, the efforts are futile, and the despairing feelings only further. Elsword is immediately alert, knowing all too well the signs of this on the common person from a certain Lanox incident involving his sister.   
  
There was a limit to filling a bottle before the liquid overflows, and Chung's was dangerously past its tipping point. He was conflicted with varied emotions before they even entered Atlas, and now the devastation of loss had come up once again in his life, unforgiving and heartless, petrifying the freshwater lake that was once filled with hearts and flowers.   
  
"...Solace," Elsword eventually responds, and Chung feels a hand on his back moments later, rubbing circles. Chung shudders under his touch, relaxing, and noting just how warm his hand was while at the same time, given a hollow reminder of their conversation during the two days Elesis was knocked out.   
  
Solace. The guy that Dekal was working for. He remembers Solace faintly from legends— stories about the Great El Explosion and the six masters— and grimaces. To think they were about to find out whether these stories were true or not was surprising to him. Had he told himself three years ago about how he was currently on a journey to find the El Master of the Sun, he was pretty sure his past self would merely gawk and wonder if Chung had finally lost it from his assassin-like fighting.   
  
A bitter laugh escapes him. And his past self just might laugh at him if he had to include how conflicted he has been feeling for awhile. How he feels all confused and fluttery whenever it's Elsword he's near and talking to. That's just admiration, right?   
  
"We won't let Yuno die in vain, Chung," Elsword sets his jaw with determination and looks back at the layout of Elysion, "That's why we'll stop Solace, and have the El Lady restore the El."   
  
"Yeah." Chung absentmindedly responds, feeling rather grim for the unneeded extra reminder of their loss. They share a moment of silence together, both thinking of the bright Nasod boy in their hearts and mutedly grieving over his loss. Hopefully, Ishmael had mercy for even Nasods. If Nasods had souls, Eve and Yuno were certainly prime examples of it being plausible. Elsword only continues to reassuringly rub Chung's back.   
  
"Do you think we'll really be able to find the El Lady, Elsword?" The assassin finally breaks the silence with a question. What if she never even existed? What would happen if, after their long journey, they found nothing? Where else would they look for the restoration of the El?   
  
"We will." Elsword sounds so sure of himself that Chung believes if he confides even a little bit, he, too, would also come to believe it wholeheartedly.   
  
It doesn't take long for Chung to willingly and completely put his trust into Elsword, but he has to remain skeptical. For the sake of his image and his heart. Wait, why was he caring about how he seems with Elsword? His heart, he already knows, is still mending from the pain of weird chest flutters, the grief of losing his father, and grief of losing Yuno.   
  
"How do you know for sure?"   
  
Elsword scratches the back of his head as if he were unsure of how Chung may react. The redhead's cheeks flush, eyes peering at him.   
  
Of all the times you choose to be cute, it has to be now.   
  
"It's this feeling I get. I heard someone's voice earlier," He admits, hand leaving Chung’s back as he clasps his hands together, crumpling the map with it. The look on his face as he locks into a stare-down with the map is hardened with resolve, “Someone is out there. So we’re going to move forward. I've figured out a route for tomorrow."   
  
Already? That must be why Elsword stayed up so late. Elsword could be surprisingly studious if he felt strongly about it, Chung thinks to himself. His words are encouraging. If Chung were drowning in the lake that had been flooded by sadness earlier, then the words Elsword says urge him to claw out and control it. Elsword was encouraging in which his confidence always shimmers with radiance, so sure of himself and strong and kind-hearted and Chung could make a list of over twenty things that it makes people believe. It makes _him_ believe. Perhaps Elsword could work on his prose and how he says some things, but Chung feels that would only be detrimental to the effects Elsword has on others. He was honest, too honest maybe, but in dark situations, that combined with his bright and shining positivity made for a powerful duo.   
  
"I hope you're right. I’ll trust in you." Chung says. Elsword smiles at him, pure and bright and warm like the campfire from before as if Chung's words had granted him an unprecedented burst of energy.   
  
When he reaches over and ruffles Chung's hair with a laugh and a grateful reply, effectively making his already growing bedhead even worse, Chung wills his heart to settle itself. Except it doesn't. His breath stills again, his thought processes short-circuit, he has to fight the urge to lean into his touch, and Elsword's fingers feel smoldering hot against his scalp. He thinks about sleeping here, in this tent where there was only one sleeping roll, with Elsword. Then he thinks further on the possibilities if he did. 

  
He doesn't. He ends up leaving with a small smile to go back to his tent, but the fantasy goes a step further beyond gentle touches and his face burns. His index and middle fingers brush against his lips, the smile dying in favor of a flushed frown.   
  
Alright. Fine. Maybe it was just a... small crush.   


* * *

  
Sea.   
  
Chung remembers when he finally admitted to himself that perhaps he did have a bit of the tiniest crush on Elsword.   
  
Hahaha. Ha. Ha. How delightfully wrong he was.   
  
He was not crushing at all; in fact he was totally _smitten_ and stupidly in love, and he realizes this with the revelation that he would rather destroy the El itself, bring Elysion to its knees, and even go as far as to shatter the El with his own two hands than losing Elsword to its will.   
  
Elsword was gone. Taken in by the El for the sake of balance, just because he had powerful ties with it.   
  
It happens quickly— thoughts of Elsword and their memories from when his heart only held drops to when it became a sea collide with him, floating restlessly in the water. He came to understand how Solace felt about Harnier, all those centuries ago, and his reasons for doing all of the deeds he had done. Was it excusable, justifiable? Absolutely not. Chung knew it well as a guardian that Solace's actions were selfish and insensitive of others. But he could... relate just a little bit, now.   
  
The El Search Party was told Elsword had sacrificed himself to become one with the El, and that his noble sacrifice restored indisputable balance throughout the land. They were all shocked, Chung himself is shocked too, and it was hardly long before waves of guilt crushed Chung underneath its heels. Raven's words ring clear in his head: they put too much of the burden on Elsword. He failed Elsword. He didn't notice that, perhaps that night in Elysion, Elsword was stressing out. He was putting up a strong front, just when Chung thought he could see past him, the moment where that developed skill should've been out to test, he didn't catch it. This was hardly justice. Not to the world, not to himself, and not to Elsword.   
  
He wanted to lift that burden, or at least share it with Elsword. What happened to being Elsword's most important person? Chung clearly was not trying hard enough if he failed to prevent Elsword's sacrifice.   
  
Chung was little ways from falling into despair until they are told a method of retrieving Elsword from the El by Denif. They all agreed that they simply could not accept a world that was granted to them due to the sacrifice of another, and Chung at least managed to refrain himself from putting too much strong emotion into his voice of agreement.   
  
Discussions were launched into any possible ways to save Elsword. Chung stood in the back, listening quietly to the conversation at hand with narrowed eyes and clammy hands as he dedicated all of his focus to not being consumed by his own self-loathing and guilt. His hands were clenched into fists, his breathing shallow and quickened, and he felt sweat rolling down the side of his cheek while he gritted his teeth with boiling fury. Even though Elsword helped him so much, why was it that he did not put in the work to do enough to help Elsword? His game must be kicked up a notch. The El would _pay,_ blessed as it is _._   
  
After taking into consideration that his current facial expression probably was not very pleasant, Chung averted his eyes and looked away, trigger finger itching. He wanted to save Elsword, and he wanted to leave _now,_ darn it. He absolutely was _not_ fighting for a world where someone so bright had to be lost to save it.   
  
He remembers temptation. He heard his own voice for a moment and turned his head so fast it was surprising he didn't get whiplash. He heard the voice of his Guardian Stone, beckoning him to finish his main purpose to save his father from the demons. It tells him, whispering with honey-dripped coaxing, to not let Elsword's sacrifice be in vain as if the balanced El stays the way it is, the Guardian Stone achieves its highest potential. He's shamed himself twice in one day by being even tempted by the offer, but he remembered at the last minute the bright things Elsword has done to his life.   
  
His smiles.   
  
His laughs.   
  
His warmth.   
  
The courage and morale he has provided to everyone in the team.   
  
His selfless, good-natured indiscriminate heart he held that accepted anyone and anything into their team, regardless of circumstance, that allowed Chung to open his eyes to more people just a little bit.   
  
Yeah, that's right. Chung believed he was fighting for a world without sacrifice. To go back on that and run after his father would be going against his beliefs. The Seiker bloodline, even if Chung was a bit of a stray, always followed their beliefs. He believed in a world where wonderful people like Elsword didn't have to be given up for the greater good. If Elsword was gone, what was Chung going to do if he left without having the skip in his step to jog into pace with Elsword, talking about mundane things as they traveled? His encouragement was legendary, unique, to Chung, fueling him in ways unexpected. If Chung were to go half-assed and accept merely taking what he could get, he was going to get nowhere in the end. It was in his nature to be kind and accept what he could have, but this was unacceptable. He would not leave Elsword behind.   
  
Yes, this was something where he was going to get what he wanted. He would not let go, not unless Elsword himself says with his own voice he wanted him to let go.   
  
"I refuse."   
  
The answer was simple, even if it took a moment to think. He felt his resolve grow when he said it aloud, so he lengthened his response into a little speech to his own Guardian Stone about beliefs and doing what he felt was right.   
  
And that brings them to the present.   
  
A manifest of the El's will trembles then falls at his feet. A grand circular platform floods Chung's vision, but he isn't looking at the intricate and exquisite detail of it, nor the way the body of light was slowly dissipating. Twirling his Silver Shooters, Chung lets them dissipate back into his Guardian Stone, followed by his cannon. He looks up, little ways ahead of him, to see a figure floating lifelessly in the air, suspended.   
  
Chung doesn't even need to squint to know who it is.   
  
"Elsword!" He yells, a bit desperate in his tone. Maybe it was uncharacteristic of him, as someone who is usually calm and polite, but Chung really could not care right now. His legs were already moving before he needed to even think, catching the slightest drop in levitation as the magic of the El slowly dissipated. The El's power was the only reason Elsword was able to float, Chung reasoned with himself, so without it, a free-fall would surely be inevitable.   
  
He was right on that assumption, as a gradual droop quickly became a plummet, Chung's legs moving with the training of years to cross the distance within seconds. His breath caught in his throat, cerulean eyes locked onto a sleeping red-headed pretty boy as arms reached out. His heart slammed against his chest, aching with longing, desperation, and insecurity all at once as Chung puts all of his force behind his feet and, with one last stretch, lunges towards Elsword's falling body.   
  
There was a thud a second after.   
  
His arms were warm, and he couldn't see.   
  
Dropped to his knees, Chung's face was pressed into something soft and rather fluffy, causing him to slowly lift his head. In front of him were red tufts of hair, belonging to a head lolled to the side, leaning on his forearm. It was the sleeping face of a warm person, bangs brushed back just enough to reveal both closed eyes, body limp in Chung's arms and most of all, seemingly serene. It was almost as if he were sleeping like a satisfied child. Not a baby. Babies cried a lot and screwed up Chung's stealth. He would never forget when a screaming baby blew his cover in a scouting mission, and he had to save not just himself, but the baby and the freaking family with him from attack. It was a miracle Ciel was around to help out, gatling guns out and blazing while Chung grabbed the family and rushed off.   
  
Cradling Elsword, Chung's body overflows with relief, and the sea is calm. Taking heavy breaths, he sighs with alleviated burdens as he buries his face into the maze that was Elsword's messy locks again, one hand running through crimson hair.   
  
"Thank Lady El, Els..." He breathes, gripping Elsword just a bit harder to make sure that this was real. This was truly Elsword, not a false projection of his head like back in the corridor. The campfire warmth of Elsword's body was reassuring, a silent whisper of confirmation that Chung had done it— Elsword was extracted from the El again. It would be unstable once more, yes, but as Elsword would say, there was always another solution.   
  
Emotions are powerful, overflowing like the sea. Assassins are supposed to lock away emotion, conceal their true selves but instead Chung does everything he can to make sure the feelings he has for Elsword stay in full bloom. Perhaps, if he had done that like all assassins did, he would have abandoned Elsword and left to chase after his primary motive. Elsword would have been left to die, and Chung would have used the abundant power of El to save his father.   
  
Yet, somehow, emotions, the sensation of being in love, was so strong that Chung went and did something ridiculous, fiercely clashing with the El's will in a desperate, self-waged war to win back the boy who had won over his heart. And he had emerged victorious because of these overflowing waves of the heart, came out on top of the _El's will,_ of all things, just because he wanted to dream about kissing and holding and hugging Elsword and _hope_ longer. It was stupid and sappy, and too flustering for Chung to admit, but just this once, he had to give credit to the source of his fantasies for helping him pull through this hurdle.   
  
His father would have to wait longer, but Chung did not regret a thing. With a soft smile on his face, Chung presses his lips to the scalp of Elsword's head and hugs him tight, watching how the bright sky blue glow of the El draped itself over the two of them. Thank goodness, truly. He was back, safe and sound.   
  
The assassin swiftly gets up and lifts the unconscious Elsword in his arms, pretending he had done nothing just a few minutes before when he hears the faint voice of Rena and the mixed cries of the other members coming towards him, and the spell of El's Corridor finally shattering, uniting them all as a party once again. Chung can't help the surge of satisfaction that must have shown in his smile when he is encircled by the team, holding Elsword all the same and confirming he had safely secured their leader.   
  
Later in the day, after Elsword has been awoken and informed of the events that transpired when he was knocked out, Chung is sitting next to him, their legs brushing together as the team discusses plans to head into Elrianode. Now that the El was unstable again, they had to travel in order to find an alternate power source for the El. And yet, for a good portion of that time, Chung cannot help but steal glances toward Elsword, smile, and think to himself,   
  
_'Father, if you can guide me in spirit, please tell me how to show this 'most important person' of mine that I cherish him so, so much.'_   
  
Chung, when he is not gazing and thinking about Elsword, gets a strange feeling of being stared at. He doesn't act on it, trusting Rena and Eve's surveillance abilities, and instead, ends up having to shake off soot from the side of his pants leg that night.   


* * *

  
  
Their journey through Elrianode made the light of some of their members' problems shine through.   
  
"Ack!!"   
  
From the stolen relics to the Primal El to the Ring of Mimir to the Henir cult, everything was fine, even if rather eventful, before now.   
  
_"Chung!"_ Elsword's voice smashes the air apart, animalistic to its roots and shaken with fright to the very core.   
  
Hennon lay motionless in front of the El Search Party, the victors scattered in blood and bruises. Chung was doing fine himself, taking the aftermath time to gaze at Elsword, who stood far off with his back turned, with pride and maybe— no, he has to admit it, yearning love. He would have done that for a minute or two, until a rocket of pain shoots off from his leg up to his hip and a strangled cry is forcefully ripped from his throat before he knows it. As if the adrenaline had run out of gas, choking pain and recoil explodes in his leg, shattered bones having erupted into a supernova of hurt, and to lesser degrees numbing bruises in places all over his body. The world falls over on its side as his leg falls slack, collapsing and losing balance and drowning him in unbearably dizzying agony, but his eyes only see a pale face, red hair, and wide crimson eyes. There is a shout that follows when his head hits the pavement, only the cry is even louder than before and accompanied by running steps. Hands are placed on his shoulder, shaking him, a boy's voice calling his name over and over, and the only thing Chung can do is blearily blink up. There's another gasp of pain from behind him and the hands on his shoulder are gone.   
  
"Elsword!"   
  
Elesis's voice. What happened to Elsword? Chung groans in pain, using his arms to brace himself and to slowly haul himself up with difficulty, but a firmer, rougher hand seizes his wrist.   
  
"Chung."   
  
Ah, Sir Raven. Raven's hand.   
  
"Chung, don't move."   
  
The pain is consuming. His vision is blurry, and good El oh how he wants to put his eyes to rest, but all he knows is that something happened to Elsword and that alone is enough to make him force consciousness on himself.   
  
"Wh..." He rasps. He finds his throat dry.   
  
"Mister Chung!"   
  
Miss Ara, too?   
  
He can see her pretty black hair from the blemishes of vision he still holds. Chung blinks rapidly, trying to clear out the spots while a slender hand eases him back down on the ground.   
  
"Ain, cast Blume!" He hears Elesis say with urgency. There are footsteps, the sound of someone approaching, so he assumes it is Ain when yellow light tints his vision.   
  
It's confirmed by the voice that can barely hide worry and concern, calling out.   
  
"Blume Rein!"   
  
His vision becomes a bit clearer. Chung looks over on his left to see Raven and Ara kneeling by his side, worry on their faces. Raven's hand is clamped over Chung's wrist. His pristine white coat is more like a greyish red, there is a noticeable cut on his nose, and his turtleneck was more like a v-neck tank top now. Wires were even sticking out of his Nasod arm while his windswept hair looked more like a crow's nest. Ara's hair was undone in its entirety, pooling around her like the sea with her hair clip sloppily stuck in the back of her head as if she just shoved it back in without a second thought. She probably did, knowing her. The black and orange cloth that trailed behind her strapless tube dress was obliterated, as Chung failed to find the wavy fabric flowing as an extension from the hem of her dress. Her exposed leg seemed to be caked in blood, mixed by her own from deep cuts to blood from the enemy, while the one with the thigh high boot saw tear and wear. A graze across Ara's cheek seemed to be the cherry on top.   
  
"Chung, you have to be careful of what adrenaline can do to you." Raven scolds him lightly, even though his expression is grave. Ara bows her head.   
  
"Mister Chung, that being Mister Hennon summoned..." She starts. She looks at Raven, seeing if he would finish her statement. He doesn't, so she continues.   
  
"I think at some point in the battle it hit you terribly. Your right leg is broken— no, we think it might even be shattered." She informs.   
  
So that was why he collapsed...? Chung feels like he should be worried, breathing heavily from all of the pain, but the only thing he can think about right now is the cry that came from Elsword. He forces his head to look over to the right and can make out two redheads as well as Ain's back, which was matted with soot and blood. Elsword was on his knees while Elesis and Ain were kneeling by his side, one of his arms rag-doll limp. The two seemed to be examining it.   
  
"Elsword," Ain's voice was steadily calm, "Please do not move your arm."   
  
"It's broken. Like, totally sacked," Elesis (un)helpfully adds, "I think you tore your arm ligaments, too."   
  
Elsword nods in understanding, but his eyes drift. Chung realizes belatedly that Elsword's eyes were actually flickering over to him over and over. He has a mighty urge to go check on Elsword himself, but the pain in his leg is incredibly unbearable to where he could barely move without wanting to puke.   
  
"Chung, can you send your armor back into your Guardian Stone?" Raven brings Chung's focus back to him and Ara. Chung weakly nods and obeys, leaving him in the black turtleneck and pants. Raven takes a carefully steady breath as he looks down at Chung. Ara has the same grim expression, and they both look at each other before looking at Chung. He faintly feels a pants-leg being rolled up and bites back a yelp when there is brief contact with his leg.   
  
"Wh... what?" Chung groans. The Eid Ain set up helped, for sure, but it still felt like a land demolisher blew up in his leg.   
  
"Your leg is bent at a bad angle," Raven says, "We don't have the proper supplies to fix your leg. We'll have to force it back into the right position until we get back."   
  
"Elsword," Chung breathes, trying to ignore the pain and the taste of blood, "How-"   
  
"Broke an arm is all," Raven informs, "Possibly a minor concussion."   
  
"H-Hey, Elsword!"   
  
"Elsword, what..."   
  
The collective voices of Elesis and Ain suddenly break through, followed by quickened footsteps before Chung peers up and sees red hair and fiery eyes.   
  
"...Els..." He faintly murmurs in surprise. Blood smears his face, dripping from his forehead and red covers the tiny cracks between the belts wrapped around his arms, though one more than the other. There is a visible gash on his neck, clearly not deep enough to be fatal, but enough to draw a small trickle of blood.   
  
Chung drones out for a moment, knowing Raven was informing Elsword of the situation. Elsword's frown deepens from the news, causing a pang of guilt to resonate within Chung. He has to keep getting stronger, he reminds himself critically. Stronger, so that no one would be hurt.   
  
"Mister Chung," Ara softly calls out to him, bringing his attention. Elsword, Raven, and Ara all hover in front of him.   
  
"We're going to try to fix your leg a little bit now. Are you ready?"   
  
Chung isn't sure how much it would hurt, but having your joints forcefully readjusted sounds like it would hurt a lot. The rumors he heard from surviving soldiers in Hamel doesn't help either.   
  
"...Els," Chung repeats. Elsword's eyes are on him. Chung returns the look, wanting to get lost in the fire that was crimson eyes.   
  
Maybe it was the pain. Maybe it was the remnants from the heat of battle. Maybe the battle itself left Chung feeling bold. But regardless, Chung outstretches his hand towards Elsword and grimaces with shy (and pained) orbs up at the latter.   
  
"...Hand," He forces out with a croak, even if it is a little bit nervous. Elsword hesitates for hardly a moment before dropping to his knees, placing his hand in Chung's, and nodding. Chung hopes that’s not his broken arm.   
  
"Shoulder," Chung asks further, using their intertwined hands to haul himself sitting up. Elsword seems to catch his drift and scoots closer to Chung, letting the assassin rest his head on him. Chung knows he really shouldn't be enough of a gushing moron to think these sort of things, but in his haze of unbearable pain, he thinks to cherish this amount of contact with the person of his affections. Considering the situation, if he did not shatter his leg, Elsword would not easily give into holding hands and shoulder-resting.   
  
The thoughts that stay higher in priority above it is the pain, and the sorrowful ache in his chest at Elsword's suddenly far dimmed attitude.   
  
"Chung..." Elsword's voice, for once, is somber, "Sorry. You'll be okay, alright? You were awesome."   
  
His voice is but a whisper, wracked with shame and guilt, but also tenderly linked with pride.   
  
_You were awesome._   
  
He did well. Elsword was telling him he was amazing, and it wasn't a casual joke or a mocking gesture. Genuine. Absolutely, astoundingly genuine. Relief floods his body, suppressing the spikes of pain for a fleeting moment until the mere thought of injury shakes him back to gritted teeth and a spat of blood.   
  
Still, those words had tasted so sweet, Chung nearly passed out from a stroke at Elsword's heartfelt compliment.   
  
Desiring to express his gratitude and relief, he at least forces himself to smile, even if it is wobbly and even if Chung is just a little bit scared of the impending emergency aid. He feels the callouses on Elsword's fingertips, the rough patches of skin from years of gripping a blade, before wrapping his fingers around Elsword's hand and clasping it. He looks at Elsword tenderly, attempting for silent reassurance. Elsword smiles back, though Chung can tell it is once again a forced one they both exchange. Chung mutedly brings his free hand up to brush the bangs covering Elsword's eye to the side, tucking them behind his ear to see a trail of blood tracing the curve of his cheek from his head. A hidden wound, concealed by his hair, and he wasn't even saying anything about it? What was Elsword even doing? Frowning, he thumbs away the blood nearing his eye and looks at it on his fingertips. It hadn't fully coagulated, so it was certainly from near end of the battle. Elsword mutters an explicit under his breath when he notices the blood on his fingertips. Chung half-heartedly glares at Elsword in scolding, about to raise his voice to ask for someone to properly look at Elsword, but Elsword's face contorts into a grimace and he frantically shakes his head. Chung elects not to immediately.   
  
_Let me stay with you,_ His eyes seemed to plead, and Chung felt more than obligated to allow it. He turns his head to Raven, hand clasped within Elsword's and head resting on his shoulder.   
  
"I'm ready. Please do it, Sir Raven."   
  
Raven grimaces, but nods and places his hands on Chung's broken leg.   
  
There’s only excruciating, mind-numbing pain for Chung after he says those words, the only flicker of reality being the tenseness of Elsword’s hand.   


* * *

  
Ocean.  
  
The battle with Hennon was certainly unforgiving, even in its aftermath.   
  
Destruction lay across Elrianode in the Henir beast's wake, rubble and debris scattered about. Chung was reminded of Hamel as he limped along the cobblestone, looking around the ruined city to assess the damage. Forced out of his under armor clothes, he wore only an open short-sleeved button-up with a t-shirt and shorts. His sole working leg had a slip-on leather sandal, leading Chung to be glad this was a place he could wear one, unlike Lanox.  
  
He vaguely recalls what transpired after the battle. Raven fixed his leg, he was ushered over to Denif for some first aid, then given some sort of drink that was supposed to help them perform healing processes. He only remembers waking up with bandages after consuming it, so it must have been a sleep-inducing elixir.  
  
Get some rest, Denif had said, and give the potions time. While the concoctions Chung was given would accelerate his healing process, apparently his leg bones were shattered to the demon realm and back and would not heal instantaneously. For now, he would have to deal with it the normal way.   
  
A rubber stopper stamps the floor, Chung's bandaged arms wrapped around the handles of crutches as he continues to limp through Elrianode. The miscalculation from earlier was really biting him now— a mere second late in dodging led to the obliteration of his leg joints, and the adrenaline churning in his veins didn't help when he couldn't feel the pain and just kept going instead.  
  
The El Search Party had split up to do individual activities while waiting on the potions to do their magic. The clinks of his crutches were the only constant sound Chung heard while moving, occasionally stopping to gaze out at the city beyond. To be truthful, he had a purpose for wandering around the city, and that was to search for a certain someone. But he had an entire day to do that task and whatever— everyone did, and it lasts until their wounds healed. Which would be a day or two, especially with the state of his leg.   
  
Technically, it should have been three days, what with needing an extra day of rest just to make sure everyone was good, but there was also the condition of the El's instability they had to worry about. Hence... the decision to head into the demon realm.   
  
Chung looks down from the sky, shakes his head, and keeps moving. The demon realm... he was rather conflicted. That was also something he wanted to talk to that certain someone about. Briefly, of course. Chung had sorted out his confusion over how to feel about demons with Raven, to which he was very thankful for. He owed Raven one, for sure. He'd figure something out in time.   
  
What he really wanted to talk to the person about was a little bit of something about love. To be specific, his beyond friendship feelings for Elsword.  
  
Eventually making out a figure in the distance, Chung squints and sees red hair. Err, two pairs. Lowering his eyes, he tries to fight off the surge of disappointment he felt at the fact that Elsword was with Elesis at the moment. He wanted, oh Ishmael how he _needed_ to talk to Elsword, about the ocean that floods his heart for him, how he wanted to never let go of him and do all of those overdone date things civilians went on together. He wanted to affectionately call Elsword by nickname (he had been calling Elsword 'Els' quietly for a while now, and needed to stop seeing it slipped more than a few times) while grinning in the heat of a sparring match. Hearing himself think made Chung cringe at this point, but he couldn't help it. Seriously, though, to take his realized love for Elsword like a smitten schoolgirl was, to be frank, really, _really_ embarrassing and Chung would rather die than talk to anyone about it because he's sure he really would sound like a teenage daffodil if he verbalized it.  
  
"Chung!"   
  
He looks up with wide eyes.   
  
So Elsword found him instead. Chung looks up to meet Elsword and gives a polite smile, nodding his head in greeting. Elsword waves in the distance, but his figure is shoved forward by Elesis. They seem to incomprehensibly banter for a few seconds before Elesis walks off in the other direction and Elsword approaches him alone.   
  
Elsword's arm is in a sling, there's gauze wrapped around his head part of it hidden by his red hair, bandages are clearly peeking out from his neck down, and both forearms are covered with gauze as well. He dons a pitch black t-shirt that is a shade darker than the pants he wears, which has the zipper up but the button was undone showing that sneak preview of the waistband of his undergarments, and _Chung stop looking, you're turning into a pervert, this is the umpteenth El-forbidden time, Father would be ashamed, look away!_   
  
Chung forces himself to look up.   
  
"How's your leg?"  
  
"Is your arm okay?"  
  
They blurt at the same time, and even match each other's surprised looks at the timing, before laughing. To Chung, each of Elsword's laughs was like the sea breeze. Refreshing, even though it could be a little bit salty. Not that Chung minded. It was kind of funny, even if he had to be the one to butt in between Elsword and Aisha's arguing when Rena and Raven weren't around. If Elsword became too much, then, well, from years of friendship Chung has figured out how to get Elsword to stop, and he could always grab Rena. Again, not that he minded that either. It felt good to intercept their banter and then drag Elsword away. Of course, Chung doesn't want to start doing the emotional equivalent of assassination by death-glaring people, 'Hey, FYI, I'll put bullets into your head if you so much as hurt him! Thanks!', so he never says anything and just pretends he's only mediating.  
  
"I'll be good to walk by tomorrow." Chung offers his response first. Elsword smiles, relief clear in his expression. Chung's heart twinges at the sight.  
  
"That's good. Rena said I can take off the cast tomorrow morning, but I need to get new bandages later."   
  
"As in today later?"   
  
"Yeah."   
  
Elsword's smile grows brighter, and Chung is starting to think that the sun should be taking notes from Elsword at this point. He's honestly tempted to ask Elsword if he wanted Chung to clean and change his bandages, but Rena likely has it covered. Still, he could not wipe away the images of being able to run his fingers across Elsword's skin, cleaning wounds with cloth and rewrapping them oh so tenderly, pressing kisses to each and every healing scar. He swallows it down, but his heart still picks up speed and keeps it up like it's nothing. Instead, he offers a kind smile to the subject of his affections and gestures with his hand.   
  
“Let’s walk?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
They fall into a comfortable sort of silence, Elsword walking forward and Chung falling into step next to him. Or is it to limp? Regardless, Elsword walks noticeably slower, doing his best to match up to Chung’s pace with the crutches. Their silence is calming, and Chung could honestly relax under it all day. In this briefly peaceful moment where it was only him and Elsword silently walking together through a devastated yet beautiful city, he realizes he really would not complain all that much if this lasted for multiple days or weeks. But Elsword is different— he _thrives_ off chatter, and no silence would ever be maintained when he was around, something that only further had Chung curled around his finger. Elsword strikes up a conversation with a lame comment about Ventus, and how that now since he has time to relax, he realizes the El Master looks sort of like Ciel. Chung has to hold himself from snorting out loud, stopping to stifle a childish laugh with the back of his hand.   
  
"H-How do you come to that conclusion?!" He exclaims. While he was able to hide his laughter, he most certainly couldn't hide his smile, nor did he want to.  
  
"His eyes, Chung!" Elsword's own eyes are blown wide with his working hand gesturing animatedly as he speaks, "They're the same as Ciel's! But since he's an old man, maybe Ciel is like, his secret love child he had with that fairy and-"   
  
"No way! He's centuries old and Ciel is only in his 20's!"  
  
Every exchange they share was like lighting a fire in his stomach. Casual moments like these, even as common as they could be in the break times between missions, were cherish-able when you don't know a thing about the realm you are about to enter, or even if your life may end the next week. Training in the arts of assassination coupled with years of war and battle does some things to you. The years of battle had clearly done its work on Elsword too, his baby fat all washed away with the ocean and his facial features sharper.   
  
But his brightness, at least, never drowned and Chung would gladly let that aspect of Elsword stay.   
  
"Look, you saw how Karis was able to grow so large," He waves his hand about, stretching his arm as high as he could go, "She was taller than all of us stacked on each other! She could totally gigantify herself to human sizes, _then_ do it!"  
  
"Sure, if she fused with some powerful being," Chung remarks offhandedly with a shrug, but a new thought dawns on him and he halts in his limping steps. Elsword notices and stops with him, tilting his head to the side curiously.   
  
"...Lu always talks about reclaiming her throne and her true form," Chung faintly whispers, eyes wide as the revelation seeps into him. He whips his head towards Elsword's face so fast he probably nearly got whiplash, but the realization is too much and he must let it out—  
  
"So is her true form just a really tall, gigantified version of her little five-year-old body?" He asks in surprise. Elsword stares back at him, gawks with his mouth opening and closing similar to a fish before he staggers and _laughs so hard there is something close to tears in his eyes followed by the ugliest snort Chung has ever heard._    
  
It only comes off as captivating to Chung. He finds satisfaction in himself, appeased that he could create such a reaction out of Elsword as he laughs with him. It was as if there was no worry of the imminent dangers ahead, no worry about his internalized conflicts from feelings about redheaded boys to feelings about demons, and it was just _them_ savoring the moment that Chung wished could be eternalized. He's so stupidly smitten that he should stop feeling like this, but it's addicting and Chung is here to settle it anyways and see if these moments could really last forever.   
  
When the laughter cedes, they have an unspoken agreement to continue their walk, and so they do. Casting a sidelong glance at Elsword, he furrows his brow at the way the magic knight is acting. He's gazing at Chung one moment, then the next he's looking forward, away from Chung, and shifting around a little. The assassin puts the credit to the closeness and constant observing of Elsword when he notices his fingers twitching, itching as if he were wary of something. Maybe he had a feeling another attack was coming? Chung decides not to delve in it, staring at the back of Elsword's head until he turns around and they are mutually staring at each other once again. A common thing between them, apparently. The urge to tell Elsword how he has secretly felt for months rises.   
  
It still comes as a shock to Chung, the sight of those bright red irises fueled with flame. Flustered, he tilts his head up to the sky to distract himself. From the corner of his eye he can see Elsword look away, pressing his lips together with eyes half-lidded. He hunches in on himself a little, shifting from foot to foot as he bites his lip, distracted. Chung wills himself not to stare at his lips too long and focuses on his eyes instead, but he finds staring at those half-closed eyes just as bad, if not worse, than his lips for his poor little no-longer-adolescent heart.   
  
El, he really needs to stop delaying and tell Elsword already. This was an opportune time, right? Why wasn't he taking it? His eyes move to the patch of gauze on Elsword's cheek. Chung has one too, one over his brow and the other across his cheek. They match, almost, with how the gauze is placed in the same spot but opposite sides.  
  
Chung leans on one of his crutches, resting his weight on the leg that was not broken and sighs. Elsword notices the movement, staring for a multitude of seconds at Chung's broken leg, then awkwardly adjusts the sling around his neck.   
  
"Chung?"   
  
Chung responds with a faint murmur of acknowledgment.   
  
"What do you think the demon realm is like?" Elsword asks bluntly, looking back up at him from that half-lidded gaze towards the floor and _someone help him_ Chung is going to seriously have a stroke at this rate. Heart pounding in his ears for two reasons, one being the topic at hand and the other being the boy in front of him, Chung manages to reply without sounding off.   
  
"Dark, full of demons, might have my father."  
  
_Definitely will have you,_ He also thinks, who to Chung was practically the only source of light in a world like that.   
  
Elsword laughs again, nonchalant. Chung crinkles his nose with slight disdain at the mention of their eventual trip to the demon realm.   
  
"It's still unsettling to me. We're entering territory we hardly know," Chung replies with a grunt, grumbling to himself about how using these crutches was slowly starting to become a pain, "And we don't know how strong they are."   
  
"You don't have to go," Elsword shrugs, stuffing his hand in his pocket, "But I am.”   
  
Chung feels his lips pull into a frown, baffled and perhaps a little bit offended. Did Elsword really see Chung as someone that shallow? He was _smitten_ with the El Search Party leader, would kill for and follow him to the end of his mission, do anything to preserve the brightness and beacon of hope he practically oozed the very essence of. Then he remembers. Elsword doesn't know about his feelings.   
  
Chung purses his lips together, remembering his original goal of the moment. He had to tell Elsword before one of them ended up dead.  
  
“No, I’m going with you,” He refused, stopping in his movements, “Even if it's dangerous, even if we’re entering at a total tactical disadvantage, you're the leader of this team.” Elsword continues to move ahead for a moment, turns to the empty space next to him, doesn't see Chung, turns behind him, and finally stops. He backtracks two, three steps, then turns around to face him. They stand a little distance apart, but nothing Chung can't close in a couple of limps.   
  
Elsword’s eyes are wide in wonder and… something else? They were glassy, but there were no droplets swelling up. He must be kindled by something unknown.  
  
Chung harshly swallows down his nervousness and continues, “To be honest, it's hard to say whether we’ll come back from this alive or not,” He doesn't even know the kind of words he is saying anymore, just that they’re coming out and Elsword has his full attention on him, “But I want to trust you, like I have time and time again.”   
  
He tries to observe Elsword. That look was still there, but the familiarity of an ignited flame in his irises burns. That sort of burning that Chung sees so often when it's just them, yet can never identify what emotion it is. It burns so brightly, unlike the rest of his expressions, that it's impossible for Chung to miss. A beautiful kind of star-struck look on his face, with the sky wondrously painting the side of his face with a tenderly cool blue hue, with eyes burning up with that unknown yet familiar kind of fire, made him almost seem ethereal.   
  
He is so in love. So devastatingly, pitifully in love, Chung realizes that if he were to somehow die in the demon realm, there would be a regret he’d take to his grave that could have washed away here and now. There would be plenty of other regrets, but this would, by far, be one of the biggest next to not finishing his work on restoring his father and Hamel. His heart seems to have picked up a sledgehammer for beating against his chest, and before he knows it,   
  
“...But even so, I want to go with as little regrets as possible.”   
  
The words continue to slip out, his heart bypassing the filter of his mind. Elsword’s normally sharp features softened. A kind flame seemed to surround him, his widened eyes relaxing. He responds, and it sounds as casual as ever, but the drop in volume shows a difference from what is normal. It is casual, cool, but it is also soft.   
  
“Me too.”   
  
He is so in love.   
  
Chung moves forward, taking the first wobbly step towards Elsword with determination. He… he would do it. He would tell Elsword his feelings so that he would have one less regret to bear with him in the worst case scenario. Rejection was something he could handle, even if he's not sure he's prepared for it, and with having to hold everything back for so long, so many months, at this point Chung thinks it would hurt less to be rejected than to forever longingly look at Elsword to death without uttering a word.  
  
He takes another step. Gritting his teeth, Chung opens his mouth to explain that Elsword doesn't really understand what he truly means, and then come out with it, but Elsword interrupts unknowingly. Per usual, unknowingly doing things to him he could never imagine. Causing Chung unimaginable feelings, something like falling in love, he could say.  
  
“So I think it's better for me to get something out of the way,” Elsword says. Chung stops just shy of two steps from Elsword. Curiosity erupts in his chest, waging war with the ocean that wants to scream out the special three words to the person in front of him.   
  
"When Raven fixed your leg," He began, his head bowed, "I don't want to see it happen again."   
  
Chung flinches. He remembers the stiffness of Elsword's nerves and muscles in the moment. How Elsword's breath seemed hitched in his throat, and how tightly they held each other's hands as if the only lifeline they had was each other. Was Elsword giving himself a hard time in private about it? Chung had agreed to let Raven do it, but he hadn't foreseen it affecting Elsword so much.   
  
Elsword bites his lip, looks away as if he were contemplating, before nodding to himself and looking at Chung with those fiercely determined eyes, determination intermingling with the familiar yet mysterious fire that Chung couldn't identify. Or maybe not. It seems more like he came to a resolution.   
  
“That's why I'll definitely train even harder, and get stronger. But Sis says strong feelings might get in the way if I don't settle it."   
  
There really wasn't much of a need to worry about Elsword after all. But Elsword's mention of feelings bothers him. Elsword and issues with his emotions? Did Elsword actually like someone else?  
  
"Chung.”  
  
Chung makes a small, nervous noise. Elsword’s next words crash into him harder than an El-forbidden Hamel skyscraper.  
  
“I’m really in love with you. Can we try dating?”   
  
The ocean suddenly floods over. Chung’s eyes are blown wide, his mouth falls slack, and his face ignites as if Elsword had sparked a flame rune under him. Elsword is smiling, even. His feet are firmly planted into the ground, a clear sign of no intention to run. Maybe he has already considered the possible outcomes of doing this, and accepted that whatever happened just simply… happened. Chung is once more amazed at Elsword’s sheer simplicity and outlook on life.   
  
Chung doesn't know he has completely forgotten to do a thing called responding until Elsword scratches his cheek with his unbroken hand. A bead of sweat rolls down the side of his face, and his smile flickers into one of mixed confusion and nervousness.  
  
“Y-Y’know, I was planning to say it _after_ we restored the El, but putting it in your perspective, guess I can't really do that after all.”   
  
He has to say something, the opportunity is right there, Ishmael please help, what did he do to deserve reciprocation—  
  
“So, do you need time to think?” Elsword asks, dropping his hand back by his side, “Sorry if that was a bit sudden.”   
  
—No, he doesn't need time to think.   
  
“Elsword, I’m fine,” Chung cannot fight the relieved, thankful smile on his face, how the ocean has finally encompassed so much, its waves lap against an inferno once, twice, worried if part of the flame will go out if it wraps itself around the fire, before covering it.   
  
The fire never douses. In fact, it only burns brighter. Chung has to take a moment to breathe, pinching himself to confirm this wasn't a dream. He takes one more step forward before reaching one hand out from his crutch and linking it with Elsword’s free hand. He's sure he's blushing like crazy, his cheeks almost as red as fire, but...  
  
He is so in love.  
  
“I’m really in love with you as well.”

His fingers are trembling, his hand shaking as he brushes his fingers against Elsword’s cheek, and right now, he can only think he is lucky. So incredibly lucky, that he is starting to get a bit scared, starting to wonder if Ishmael or Elia really did believe he was deserving of the El Search Party leader’s heart, deserving of being the one titled to be the most important person in the restorer of the El’s life.

But Elsword has always been about taking chances, taking risks. Therefore, Chung will simply have to take some as well to match his pace.

He smiles at Elsword, leaning in just slightly.

“Let’s try dating.”

Elsword responds.  


* * *

  
Inferno.   
  
Elsword didn’t really expect this outcome, but it happened. His lips tingled, faint with the remainder of cooling warmth. This feeling was the only thing grounding Elsword into believing that yes, this is real, and not just some extremely intricate fantasy Elsword is having of Chung again like past freaking thousand times.   
  
Their first kiss was awkward, to say the least. They bumped into each other's noses, teeth clacked a little, and they couldn't even hold each other properly because Chung was gripping one his crutches trying not to fall over and Elsword had an inconvenient as hell broken arm, but it was nice. Maybe a bit rough with part of the blame on their inexperience and the other on want that had been kept in check for far too long, but nice.   
  
"Els, your arm."   
  
"Ah, right. Sorry."   
  
Cream-colored hair, and cerulean eyes that was clear like the lakes in Ruben. Elsword obediently removes the sling from around his neck, allowing the other to start removing the worn bandages from his broken arm, and notes the endearing nickname Chung called him by. A pile of used bandages lay on the nightstand. He was starting to get some feeling in his hand, at least. Elsword wiggles the fingers of his broken arm experimentally, but it is quickly stopped by Chung placing his hand on top of it and flashing Elsword a warning look. Elsword gives a silly but apologetic smile in response.   
  
They sat together on the bed of one of the abandoned houses Denif had allowed the group to stay in. Split by gender, each house held enough room to shelter each to their own in terms of bed count. Except Lu and Ciel being separated was a bad idea, and Lu wished to make her stay with Ciel, so given the circumstances, two people would have to share a bed.   
  
Elsword had quickly glanced at the assassin he fell in love with, and they came to a swift and silent mutual agreement before stepping up and volunteering to share. Neither had uttered a word to the El Search Party about their relationship.   
  
What was their relationship, anyway? They definitely were in love with each other, so that probably made them boyfriends. Or at least, Elsword assumes that.   
  
"...Els..."   
  
Elsword perked up. Crap.   
  
"Huh, what?" Was the dumb response that lamely tumbled out of his mouth. Chung frowned.   
  
"You're zoning out."   
  
Oh. So he was. He's been doing a lot of that recently according to Aisha. He'll definitely stop for sure now, he decided, especially because probably about eighty-five percent of the time he spaced out was because he was staring at how pretty Chung was in like, every situation ever.   
  
"Is there something wrong with that?" Elsword instead flippantly retorts, giving Chung an offended look. Chung smiles, giving a snort while wrapping his arm in fresh bandages. Sparks fly in Elsword's chest, but it's welcomed with a burst of love this time.   
  
"No," Chung hums, scooting a bit closer to Elsword, "It's surprising but cute."   
  
Elsword wants to get offended at being called cute, but really can't with how content Chung sounds when he says it. Their knees brush together as Chung finishes up on Elsword's arm. Helping him put the sling back on, his fingers move towards the slightly wet red locks and begin searching for the beginning of the gauze wrapped around his forehead.   
  
"Took a bath recently, Els?" Chung questions, going through the softness and drops of water falling from Elsword's hair.   
  
"Denif's powers sure are useful." Elsword acknowledges with a nod, recalling how swiftly the El Master could set up a hot water bath to soak in. Other than that, his mind drifts elsewhere.   
  
He thinks about Chung's nickname for him. Els, huh? To say Elsword liked it would be an understatement, to be honest. It was like a secret way to say "I'm closer to him than any of you", and Elsword took great pride in that. That was probably something Rena would scold him for, though.   
  
Should he think of something for Chung?   
  
"...Chungie? Chu? Mr. Chu? Chuney?" Elsword says all of the options out loud, feeling how it rolled against his tongue and faintly noticing Chung's face grow more and more flushed at each one. He doesn't feel like fighting the smirk that grows on his features, pressing further.   
  
"Chuchu, Chuuni, Chuunibyou-"   
  
"Els!"   
  
Chung finally breaks with a loud whine and a complaining voice. There's a tug in his hair and something loosens from around his head. Chung gently unwraps the bandages around his head, placing it in the pile by the nightstand.   
  
"What?" Elsword asks with mock innocence, grinning, "I have to think of something if you're going to use pet names."   
  
"My name doesn't have enough syllables for pet names-"   
  
"I kinda like Chuuni. What about you?"   
  
_"Els!!"_   
  
Arms wrap around him from the side, Chung hugging him from where he sat next to Elsword and pressing his face into his shoulder. Elsword laughs, wrapping his working arm around Chung in a warm embrace and resting his head on top of his. They remain motionless, simply relishing in each other's touch. Elsword couldn't possibly get enough of it.   
  
"Just call me Chung, please," The mop of cream hair with cute little brown tips shaping ears rustles under his chin. His voice sounds pleading, adorable enough for Elsword to want to kiss even though it was a complaint. He refrains, though.   
  
Oh, wait. He doesn't have to anymore.   
  
He removes his head from resting atop Chung's, nudges Chung's head up with the shoulder he had buried his face in, and when he does Elsword quickly swoops in to steal a quick one. Their noses bump again, but only for a brief moment as Elsword tilts his head in the nick of time and presses his lips against Chung's. His hand moves up the assassin's spine, pressing against the back of his neck. Chung responds eagerly, hands fumbling at first but quickly finding their place: one on Elsword's other shoulder and the other resting on his thigh. They sit there, pressed close to each other, savoring the mere feelings and sensations of being able to intimately be with each other like this.   
  
It's admittedly with reluctance, as the kiss lasts just a few moments, but Elsword breaks away first, smiling ear to ear and unable yet unwilling to fight back the sheer amount of joy he feels. They were going to leave for the demon realm as soon as everyone had properly healed up, and they were once again going to be thrown back into stupidly needless serious stuff. What little time he had to do what he wanted without any care at all was precious, and now that there was this new development, new uncharted territory he could explore with Chung in the start of a relationship he has never had before, well...   
  
Indulging was fine. He has a good feeling Chung feels the same way.   
  
He catches Chung staring at him intently, turquoise orbs reflecting back at him, and quirks an eyebrow up in silent question. Chung only gives a smile and a shake of the head that Elsword wants to just smile and cheer him on. How could assassins be so pure and pretty? Elsword would highly recommend Chung Seiker to convince people of that. The hand on his shoulder lingers, but the other moves to rest on the other side of his neck. The proximity between them is enough for Elsword to clearly see the paw prints in his eyes and point out where each spot went to form the shape.   
  
"Els?"   
  
"What's up?"   
  
Chung shies away a little, cheeks tinted red. Elsword takes this time to slip his sling back on his newly-bandaged broken arm.   
  
"We talked about not having regrets if something happened to us in the demon realm..." He starts.   
  
Elsword nods, "Yeah, and?"   
  
"Well, what do you think we should do if we... survived, and came home?"   
  
Elsword considers it for a moment. He doesn't really know why Chung always has doubts, but he supposes with his history and how he ended up a stealthy killer instead of a noble guardian, that Chung must have been through tough times that can't be washed away so easily. Well, Elsword has put himself in a position where Chung would trust him with everything, so he would take responsibility for changing that.   
  
Endless possibilities flood through his head, but the majority all fall under one category.   
  
"Go on a date," Elsword says bluntly, and watching the red cheeks on Chung deepen makes it worth it, "Maybe by the time we come back, Hamel's water park will be open."   
  
Chung laughs, removing his hands from Elsword's shoulders and placing them in his lap. He leans forward, eyes still on him.   
  
"I think I'd like that," He agrees, "I can use my name to get us in for free."   
  
"Ohh, nice!" Elsword grins and flashes a thumbs up. Chung's smile stays on his face and he returns the gesture.   
  
In fact, it only grows as Chung reaches out and places both his hands on Elsword's hand. The latter notices the former swallow harshly, but turquoise eyes hold hope.   
  
"And... I'd like you to properly meet Father when all of this is over. As..." Another blush rides high on Chung, even though he has already done so twice and his shoulders tense up, "As my boyfriend. I hope it will be good news for Father since I have to tell him how I've changed into..." He pauses for a moment, looks down at himself, then back up, "This."   
  
Elsword feels the runic seals on his arms burn, fighting to keep him from performing spontaneous combustion right then and there.   
  
"Y-Yeah," He stammers out, voice a bit high and frantic, "Sure." As he speaks, he tries to douse out the embers that nearly ignited but effectively heated up his face. On the bright side, that confirms Elsword's assumption that it was safe to call them boyfriends. On the downside, Elsword didn't understand why someone would find it wrong to choose the path they felt was best for them. Chung was like Elsword in a sense— from the stories Chung told him, his cannon slowed him down and left openings. So naturally, to cover up that flaw, he'd just do something to make him quicker right? Like how Elsword learned magic to cover up his weaknesses. He elects to talk to Chung about it another time.   
  
"We should sleep. I'm tired." Elsword steers the topic to another direction, Chung visibly relaxing while Elsword merely sighs. Swinging his legs over onto the bed, he falls onto the mattress, one arm behind his head and the other resting in the sling. He idly stares up at the ceiling.   
  
"Yeah. I'm going to bathe first." Chung says, and the bed creaks a little. Elsword looks out of the corner of his eye to see him step out of bed, grab his crutches from the side of the nightstand, then limp over to grab a fresh change of clothes. He grabs the used bandages as he moves, holding them between his fingers and the crutch and making a quick stop by the trashcan to throw them out.   
  
"I'm gonna hit the lights when you head in the bathroom," Elsword says.   
  
"Alright." Chung doesn't turn around, sifting through his bag to find comfortable sleeping attire.   
  
They fall into silence for a moment or two. Elsword simply stares at Chung, taking into account the curve of his back, the shape of his body as he remained hunched over in his search for sleepwear. Really, to think Chung returned his feelings was a miracle. Maybe Ain could tell him if Ishmael pulled some strings or not. Neither speaks until Chung stands up, a fresh pair of clothes in his hand, which is when Elsword's mouth automatically runs itself off.   
  
"Hey, Chung?"   
  
This time, Chung turns his head around and tilts it to the side. Elsword's face is blank for a moment, remembering once more that this guy will probably be the death of him. But at the same time, his heart is swelling, that feeling of surreal wonder is back again, and if this was a glimpse of their life together should they return safe, then Elsword was making damn sure everyone was coming back alive. Of course, he was already planning on it, but this sort of peace only amplified the wildfire's core.   
  
Elsword sits up, bringing one leg up to rest his elbow on, and gives a lopsided, but radiant, smile.   
  
"I love you."   
  
He'd repeat it for the entire night if Chung wanted him to. But for now, just once seems enough as Chung stops, eyes big, then staggers comedically, frantically fumbling around and barely regaining his footing by clinging to his crutches. Realizing just how much affection could do to Chung, Elsword figures he should do it more to relish in the absolutely hilariously adorable reactions. Chung stares at him with blown eyes, slightly winded from his stumble earlier.   
  
It takes a moment or two before the shock wears off. After the effect of the initial surprise finally leaves his system, Chung's face visibly softens. Here, there was no hateful expression towards demons, nor the shadow of grief, nor the contortion of doubtful reluctance. It was, for once, hopeful, almost innocent, but most of all kind.   
  
"I love you too," He breathes, a smile gracing his lips and Elsword's eyes are blessed one last time before Chung turns back.   
  
The rubber stoppers of the crutches eventually start again, then stop followed by a click of a lock.   
  
Elsword smiles to himself. Aisha would be so angry when she finds out he has a sweet, pretty, and most of all kind and honest boyfriend now. And most of all, he got one before she did.   
  
But in respect to the wonderful human being that was Chung Seiker and the main mission of restoring the El, he would hold back on bragging to her face. For now. Because even if Elsword was perfectly satisfied beyond his expectations with his relationship with Chung and wanted to run around screaming Chung loves him, there was still a goal to finish, and the final stretches of their long journey had to be made before any bragging could be done.   
  
Elsword leans back in bed, moving to the side to make space for Chung when he finishes his shower, then pulls the covers over his body. He was perfectly content for the night. Tomorrow would be finishing up recovery and gathering supplies for the trip to the demon realm. He'd miss this temporary feeling of peace and love, but tomorrow onwards he was fighting to be given the chance to have it back. Permanently.   
  
With the inferno in his chest roaring with determination to fight well, Elsword reaches for the light switch.   


**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://yenfia.tumblr.com/) if you want to talk!   
>  I thank you with my all for reading, especially knowing the quietness of this archive, so your time and investment into this fic is all the more appreciated! Please don't be afraid to talk to me about these two if youre into this kinda ship too hahaha- pleaseineedmorefriendswholikeelschung


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